Picture Frames and Memories
by Amanda Hawthorn
Summary: "You were actually in the same room with her?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "You got to touch her?" spoilers for 6x05


**Disclaimer: Burn Notice still doesn't belong to me unfortunately. **

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left reviews, PM's and favoured my stories. If I've missed sending a personal thank you to you then please bear with me, RL has been very hectic.**

**Huge thanks to my special friends and PCC ladies, Purdy's Pal and JediSkysinger for reading through this for me, and to DaisyDay for being such a great friend to all of us.**

**Thanks also to the girls on Twitter for being so utterly wonderful.**

**This is a one shot for 6x05**

_**"You were actually in the same room with her?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "You got to touch her?"**_

Picture frames and memories

Madeline's house was bathed in darkness when Michael walked into the kitchen that night. Calling out his mother's name he moved further inside when he heard her muffled voice coming from the family room.

It had been a very long two days and he was another step closer to Fiona's release from prison but so far Card was being very tight lipped about what had actually happened when he'd spoken with Fiona. He wouldn't answer any of his questions when he'd asked how she was; all Card had said to him was that he should ask his mother.

So here he was, visiting his mother at a late hour hoping to get some snippet of information on Fiona, no matter how little she could provide.

"Mom," he called again, lowering his voice when he walked towards her to see her smiling down at some pictures in the electronic photo frame that Fiona had given her for Christmas.

Lifting her eyes up to his, Madeline smiled tearfully before she returned her gaze back down to the images that flashed before her. Stopping one of the photos she tilted the frame towards him to show a picture of himself and Fiona standing on the beach with their arms wrapped around each other as they stared out to the sea.

Reaching out to take the heavy frame from her he smiled down at the image before him and allowed his mind to wander back to that day so many months ago before Anson came into their lives to rip them all apart.

_They had been living together for two months and still things between them were like the day they'd first met. _

_A warm breeze swirled around them and Michael tugged her closer as he pressed his lips into her hair. He couldn't ever remember a time when he had been so happy. This woman had always been the only one to keep him grounded, and the only woman he had ever really loved. He knew he wasn't big on saying the words but then neither was she. They both just…knew._

"_I can feel my mom's eyes on us from here," he whispered into her hair, still unwilling to release her. "She wants us to have dinner with her."_

"_Really?" Fiona asked with a soft chuckle as she lifted her head to smile up at him. "I was going to get you home and…"_

"_And?" he asked softly, spurred on by the look of pure want in her eyes._

_Standing on tiptoes Fiona pressed her lips to his, increasing the pressure until he responded to her with a soft groan as he lost himself in her._

_When their lips slowly parted he tried to catch his breath but he was finding it difficult to pull away. This woman was intoxicating; she had always held his heart even after their forced separation when he had to leave her in Ireland. He had been in love with her then and even more so now…she was his life._

"_Come home with me," she whispered as she brushed her lips against his throat to kiss her way upwards before she slowly pulled away from him causing his body to react to her touch. "And I'll show you…"_

"I couldn't delete that picture," Madeline told him as she plucked a cigarette out of the pack and lifted it to her lips. "You both looked so happy and…well…"

Lifting his eyes from the image Michael swallowed hard and nodded slightly, unwilling to let himself slip back into the memories that had the power to cause his walls to crumble.

"We were," he sighed, his voice wobbling slightly. "I don't remember you taking this."

"If you _had_ known then you wouldn't have let me take it," she huffed as she reached up to retrieve her precious frame from his hands. "That's the night you made some excuse about skipping dinner, but I knew where you two were heading."

Nodding silently Michael felt the heat rising up his cheeks but it all disappeared when he saw the absolute desolation in her eyes. She returned her gaze back towards the photo, a smile lingering over her lips before she turned away from him.

"She's hurt," Madeline whispered softly when she stood the frame back up and left it on the side.

Hearing the sadness in her voice Michael turned to face her and slowly came to perch onto the edge of the table. "Mom?"

Madeline took another long drag of her cigarette before blowing a plume of smoke out into the room. How could she tell him that every step she had taken away from Fiona was like another stab into her heart? All she'd wanted to do was take her out of that awful place and bring her home with her.

"She's injured," she told him shakily as she slowly lifted her eyes to his. "She said it was nothing but I knew it was hurting her."

Michael's eyes slipped closed briefly as he ran his hands over his face. Sitting back up he fixed his gaze onto his mother and sat up straighter. "Where? Is she okay? I—"

"She's too thin," she snapped, trying desperately to stop herself from crying.

Michael watched her silently when she wiped the corner of her eye with her thumb before she took another drag from her cigarette.

"Mom…I need to know she's okay."

Madeline's voice caught in her throat when she tried to speak through the lump in her throat. "You weren't there to see her face when you wouldn't take her call, Michael."

"Mom…I—"

"I don't care for any of your excuses, Fiona needed you and you didn't take her call?" she snapped.

"I _couldn't_ take her call," he told her, his voice coming out on a groan. Standing up he turned away from her and shook his head. "I'm _doing _everything I can to get her out."

"That girl loves you Michael," she told him haughtily as she stood up and stubbed her cigarette out. "Have you even told her how _you_ feel?"

Closing his eyes, Michael thought back to the a few days ago when he'd laid eyes on her for the first time since he'd lost her. Of course he'd told her he loved her hadn't he? Wasn't all of the things he was doing now proof enough? Opening his eyes he turned back towards his mother intending to tell her exactly that when she cut him off before he could speak.

"With words Michael," she told him in exasperation. "Sometimes a woman needs to _hear_ I love you_."_

"Why are you being like this?" he sighed, throwing his arms in the air. "Why—"

"Because I saw her Michael," she wailed, her voice trailing away when she grabbed another cigarette out of her pack. Lifting it to her lips she let it hang out of her lips while she searched around for her lighter. When she couldn't see it anywhere she pulled the cigarette out of her mouth in frustration and dropped it onto the table. "Because of the way she held me so tight… does there need to be a reason?"

Michael mind tried to process what she had told him and he blinked slowly before he took a step forward. His eyes filled and his heart ached when he reached for his mother, holding onto her hands to keep her from moving.

"You were actually in the same room with her?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "You got to touch her?"

"_Yes_ Michael," she sighed impatiently, trying to pull away until she saw the look in his eyes. With slow understanding Madeline squeezed his fingers and grabbed hold before he could pull away. Tears burned in her eyes and she suddenly understood why he was so upset. "Oh…_honey_…"

Before he could stop it a single tear broke loose to tumble down his cheek creating a wet track over his skin. Releasing his mother's hands he turned away abruptly and swiped at his face before he tried to control his voice. "Is she…"

"Michael," stepping forward Madeline laid her hand against his back and held it there for a few moments before pulling it away. "I know you're trying to get her out of that awful place…and, Fiona knows it too."

Without expecting a reply she turned away from him and looked back towards the photo frame with the rotating pictures as she tried to think of something she could say to bring the light back into his eyes.

"I need her back mom," he whispered shakily as he sucked in a breath to stop his voice from breaking. "I just…"

"I know baby," Madeline lowered her voice and moved towards him before she stopped and looked towards the stack of menu's she kept beside the phone. "Are you hungry?"

His silence filled the room but she wasn't about to let him off that easily. Moving towards the phone she picked up one of the menu's and scanned each one in turn before she heard his voice, soft and utterly broken.

"I'm sorry mom."

"It's going to be okay honey," she told him softly, unable to stay away from him any longer. Moving towards him she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head onto his chest. "She'll be home with us soon…"

The End

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